tholeiite

T1H4O1L1E1I1I1T1E1
/ˈθoʊ.li.aɪt/UK/ˈθəʊ.lɪ.ʌɪt/

noun

An igneous basaltic rock, formed from magma rich in magnesium and iron.

OriginGerman Tholeiit →
Scrabble 12
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Meanings

nountholeiite (plural tholeiites)

plural tholeiites

  1. geographyAn igneous basaltic rock, formed from magma rich in magnesium and iron.

    Correctly speaking, Hawaiian basalt is not just basalt, but is a special variety enriched in silica known as tholeiite.

    2004, Richard Fortey, The Earth, Folio Society, published 2011, page 51n

Origin

  1. GermanTholeiit
  2. Englishtholeiite

From German Tholeiit, from Tholei (“a village in western Germany”).

More words from German

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

tholeiite. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tholeiite

MLA

“tholeiite.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tholeiite. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tholeiite,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tholeiite.

Source: tholeiite on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.